Showing results by publisher "Stanford Audio" in Business & Careers

Most organizations and managers are filled with good ideas - the problem is implementation. Power and influence, rather than being the organizations' last dirty secrets, are in fact secrets for success. Professor Pfeffer discusses the importance of understanding power and influence, diagnosing points of view on decisions, knowing the strategies and tactics for the effective use of influence, and appraising the role of influence in organizational innovation and change.

Aikido leaders work to achieve inner calm when under attack and can blend energy with a competitor to move forward. In this program, John O'Neil, President of The Center for Leadership Renewal, explains the aikido style of leadership and the critical elements - adaptability, flexibility, and partnership - necessary in such a leader. In addition, O'Neil talks about creating organizational commitment and communicating your organization's vision.

Using her own experiences as an entrepreneur, angel investor, and venture capitalist, Yesil discusses the Entrepreneurial Process. She walks the audience through the steps necessary to identify a winning idea, recruit a coherent team, define a roadmap based on concrete deliverables, choose financial partners, establish the right business development relationships, create a larger than life shadow, and ultimately guide the company to a liquidity event.

Technology is leading to rapid, all-encompassing changes in the modern business environment by introducing such a diversity of products that "choice" has become more important than "brand", according to Regis McKenna. He discusses the impact of real-time technology on the way we compete, live, work, learn, and even play.

John Kilcullen, Chairman and CEO of IDG Books Worldwide, and the brains behind the For Dummies series, talks about branding, entrepreneurship, startups, and dynamic growth.

William Bridges, President of William Bridges & Associates, explains why the conventional "job" is no longer the most effective way to get work done. He describes what tomorrow's workplace will be like and how individuals can cope with it - and even capitalize on it.

If you assess your organization's needs and choose technology effectively, you will gain an edge over your competitors. Peter Cunningham outlines a plan for understanding and utilizing the changes in information technology. Cunningham, a specialist in analyzing and forecasting major trends in the information industry, explains the competitive power of electronic commerce. He also contends that you must consider downsizing, outsourcing, or networking in order to compete effectively in today's business world.

In the global, technologically advanced business world of today, standard procedure won't allow you to jump the curve. With global barriers to entry so low that companies with fewer than 10 employees can compete effectively, the times require small and large companies to change their strategy. Dr. Oren Harari, Professor of Management at the University of San Francisco, shows how successful companies cope with the accelerated pace of business development through knowledge, innovation, and swiftness.

The electronic age has dramatically altered the terms of trade for intellectual goods. How valuable is the product you are developing - and how do you plan to generate revenue from it in the future? Paul Goldstein, Professor of Law at Stanford University, provides a comprehensible framework for current intellectual property law and the prospects for its modification in the United States and the world. He also discusses the cause and effect of intellectual property losses as well as the influence of law on product value.

What is the most important responsibility of managers today? The answer is mobilization, says Jennifer Kenny, President of Emergent Management Consulting. Mobilizing your organization to meet a common goal requires gaining your employees' commitment to a shared future. Skills previously considered essential to success, such as problem solving, goal setting, and operations management, are by themselves no longer sufficient, says Kenny, if the organization lacks commitment, trust, and coordination.

There's a recent trend in sales and marketing called "Evangelism." Marketing guru Guy Kawasaki explains the role of fervor, zeal, and cunning in persuading people, as well as the power of passion in evangelistic marketing and sales. He uses humor and examples from his experiences to illustrate techniques and approaches that will enhance your sales and marketing skills.

O'Reilly uses lessons derived from his studies, which show how to retain current employees and foster their creativity, drive, and development. He presents powerful examples of companies that live their values, value their people - and are extraordinarily successful.

Today's market is an increasingly sophisticated one - and Dell Computer's reported revenues of $3.2 billion prove that customers are ready for new ways of doing business. In this interview, CEO Michael Dell shares his vision of the potential of online transactions, describes the success of customized Web pages, and examines the possibilities for direct and indirect sales of technology products. Dell talks about cutting costs with effective online support, building effective customer relationships, tearing down the myths of the Internet, and more.

Three things make the difference in becoming a leader and being led - product quality, customer service, and productivity. While managers have made great strides in the first two factors, improving productivity remains a major challenge for many organizations. John H. Zenger, a leading authority on organizational change and high performance systems, discusses practical methods to help an organization shed its past, raise its standard for higher performance, and give employees specific tools required to excel in the workplace.

What do you do when interdepartmental conflict threatens organizational harmony? Peg Neuhauser suggests that the key is in recognizing that different departmental tribes, or subcultures, exist within the organization. By teaching these tribes how to communicate more effectively, the executive can minimize conflict and boost productivity. She covers the dos and don'ts of negotiating with other groups and points out the special role that tribal chiefs play in the organization.

If you're not thinking about how to change things or mix things up, you're going to be left behind! Carol Bartz, a self-described "change agent", discusses ways to drive change, rather than simply reacting to it. She talks about the value of change for growth, the importance of technology in driving change, ways to involve employees in change, and the role of confidence in creating change. Learn how to take control of the future of your organization.

Improvement initiative or organizational mindset - which leads to greater success? The need to operate successfully in a global economy has spawned numerous organizational improvement programs, such as TQM and re-engineering. However, business owner Jill Janov explains that it is your mindset, and not these initiatives, that creates lasting success. Drawing on nearly 30 years of corporate experience, she focuses on the systematic approaches your business needs to design its work processes, roles, relationships, strategies, and structures.

The traditional approach to strategic planning is dead. It used to be that plans were produced on paper, placed in the bottom of a drawer, and never seen again. Now, there is a new method that focuses on strategic thinking and strategic implementation. John Berthold, president of a management consulting firm that specializes in strategy development and implementation, stresses the importance of a strategy that results in improved teamwork.

How do you build a company of enduring greatness? Jerry Porras contends that a strong core ideology and the persistent drive for progress are fundamental to the process. Having studied the life history of 18 visionary companies, he offers six key mechanisms that these companies use to preserve their core and stimulate innovation and change. He debunks the myth of the charismatic leader and concludes that all firms can use his findings to improve their organizational performance.

Globalization and the next generation of organizational challenges require new kinds of leadership. Diane Woods of Levi Strauss and Co. explains how to employ specific strategies to leverage the richness of a diverse workforce. She explores the link between global competition and diversity and explains how such diversity is vital to an organization's transformation and regeneration.